THE HALF-ELF'S PROLOGUE
Listen and I will tell you a wonder. In the season when the vermin over ran Waterdeep, and rats walked on two legs, a young half-elf did consider his dreams of darkness. From the shadows he witnessed the fall of another to the scourge. And others were there and they did remove his goods. And an unwashed hin held up to the light a chakram, and the half-elf's path was made known to him.
In the year that the deluded servant of Istishia was found upon a Thayan pike, the half-elf did set his face toward a pilgrimage, so that his wisdom might be darkened and the mysteries of his dreams revealed. And he did come into the House of Sorrow. And he was commanded to chronicle all that he has sees with his eyes and without; and he was commanded to chronicle all that he hears with his ears and without.
Here are the chronicles of what he has seen without his eyes and heard without his ears since the day of his birth. May the Shepherdess of Secrets be pleased.
DREAM OF CREATION MADE AND UNDONE
At the start of creation, when Lord Ao created time and space, there was shadow and there was darkness. Creation existed in a state of perfection and peace, not knowing of pain nor grief, under the presence of the Thirteen Lords of Shadow. Eventually, when the time had reached its fulfillment, out of the shadows was born the Two-faced Goddess. With one face She illuminated the tranqullity with a delicate radiance, with the other She protected the glorious dark. Thus was presence of shadows increased, sanctifying the created order. And while the Goddess possessed but a single mind, it was the Face of Darkness that, in wisdom, remembered the undisturbed beauty of the void that existed prior to the act of creation.
And when the time had reached its fulfillment the Two-faced Goddess spoke to herself and said, "Let us create and bring forth Life, that we may share our existance with others." (For the Thirteen Lords were not of the Goddess.) Thus, She brought forth into existance a child to fill the blessed shadows of creation with life. And so the child became the foundation of the world. And all creation was perfect and peaceful, not knowing pain or grief.
Yet, in time, the babe grew restless and rebelious, as youth are wont to do. And the peace that had existed since before the creation of the world was broken. And the union of the Two-faced Goddess was torn asunder by the imputant whinning of the divine infant. And yet all hope was not lost. Perfection and peace could have been maintained if the wisdom of the Face of Darkness could prevail. If only the child's prattlings concerning warmth and infernal light could have been corrected, perfection and peace could have been maintained. May the Dark Goddess have mercy upon us all; for it was not so.
This is an account of how pain and grief first entered into the perfected peace of creation. In time, as the insistant drivel of the infant goddess continued unabated, a wedge violated the singular mind of the Goddess. Thus the first sin, the sin of disobedience, entered into creation. Yet, pain and grief were not yet realized. As the mind that had been one since the beginning became two, Darkness struggled against the Light, striving to protect the creation from the madness of illumination. Thus the second, and most terrible sin shown on creation. And it is this: That though the Darkness loved the Light as Herself, the Light betrayed the Darkness and all of their works. As the Darkness pleaded with the Light to return that they may be made one again, the Light trangressed the works of the Two-faced Goddess and all life by soiling creation with strange fire, burning the breast of their own child in this Great Abomination of madness. In mercy, the Darkness sought to undo the sins of Her new found Sister by snuffing out the damaging flames that sought to consume their child. The loving-kindness of the Darkness proved wasted for lo, in Her derrangement, the Light tore at Her own breast, hurling Her own flesh at the Darkness. And thus, the Two that had been One, converged for the last time as the flesh that they had once shared violated the sanctity of the Darkness. A new being, an unlooked for offspring, emerged from the violence to protect the insanity of the Light from the now wounded Darkness. Madness and perversion now ran unchecked throught creation. Suffering did become one with all creation, as it is now. All hope was then and now lost. Life knew pain and grief. May the Lady of Loss protect us; all who live must now suffer.
Listen and hear the truth. The Light is madness. The Light is the Liar. The Light is the origin of all suffering. Turn your eyes away from Her lest you be blinded. Do not hear Her ravings, for She is mad. There is no good or evil; no chaos or order. There is only suffering and perfection. Perfection and peace have been destroyed by terrible Light; suffering is now known by all life because of Her. The Mistress of the Night has mercy and seeks to have all life partake in the beautiful calm of the Void, for She alone cares for creation. Do not be confused, madness has infected all by the light of the Unfaithful Liar. In Her mercy and kindness, the Dark Goddess desires to come to you, even if by the devices of the Enemy, so that you may know the Mother of your creation. May the Mistress of the Night guide us all into darkness.
